MANILA (4th UPDATE) - President Rodrigo Duterte will get tested for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on Thursday as his top officials go on self-quarantine following close contact with a person who tested positive for the disease.

Duterte will get tested even as he did not show any symptoms of the disease, his former aide Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go said.

“Papa-test muna kami ni PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) tomorrow,” Go told ABS-CBN News.

Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo said the chief executive chose to undergo the test to “ensure that they are fit and healthy to perform their duties as government workers.”

“They are undertaking this pre-emptive step as per advice of health officials given that they have regularly engaged with Cabinet officials, some of whom have opted to undergo self-quarantine as they were exposed to those infected with COVID-19,” Panelo said on Thursday.

Malacañang earlier announced that Duterte’s scheduled trip to Boracay on Thursday has been rescheduled to another date as it monitors the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

WHAT PROMPTED SELF-QUARANTINE OF CABINET MEN?

Several of the President’s top officials began isolating themselves from the public on Thursday after attending the inspection and presentation of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Harbor Link Circumferential Road 3-Circumference 10 in Caloocan City on March 5 where the person who tested positive for COVID-19 was also present.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno were all present at the said event and have all confirmed to ABS-CBN News their plans to go on self-quarantine.

“I was in the NLEX inspection ceremony with Secretaries Dominguez and Tugade last Thursday…Thought it’s best to go on self-quarantine to be on the safe side,” Diokno told ABS-CBN News in a text message.

Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, who was not present at the March 5 event, also opted to go on self-quarantine following contact with Dominguez during an economic cluster development meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday.

Another Cabinet official, who refused to be named, also confirmed that the NLEX event prompted the self-quarantine of several of the President's men.

Under the protocol of the health department, undergoing self-quarantine means isolating oneself for 14 days.

The Senate building meanwhile was placed on lockdown Wednesday night after a resource person who recently attended a hearing tested positive for COVID-19, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said.

• Senate on lockdown after guest tested positive for COVID-19

Panelo said the government’s inter-agency task force handling the country’s response to the disease outbreak is scheduled to meet on Thursday “to respond to the recent disturbing development” in relation to COVID-19.

PALACE TO BE DISINFECTED

To ensure that the government’s seat of power is free from the virus, some areas in the Malacañang complex will be disinfected on Thursday.

Presidential Security Group commander Col. Jesus Durante told ABS-CBN News that the Palace will be subject to “precautionary disinfection and decontamination” particularly in areas frequented by Duterte.

“Employees will just go out of their room while being disinfected and could go back to work after an hour,” Durante said in a text message.

The New Executive Building, which houses the Presidential Communications Operations Office, meanwhile will be disinfected after it hosted some officials of the Department of Finance who had close contact with Dominguez, who has opted to go on self-quarantine.

The finance department officials held a briefing on Wednesday in Malacañang, which was attended by reporters.

“In light of this, we have already ordered the disinfection of the Malacañang Press Briefing Room, Press Working Area, and other areas within the New Executive Building,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said.

“At this point in time when public health is at risk, we seek everyone’s understanding and cooperation in taking the necessary precautions and in following safety protocols,” he said.

Andanar also urged PCOO personnel, and reporters who had close contact with the DOF officials to voluntarily go on self-isolation and seek medical attention. Affected PCOO personnel may consider “work from home” arrangements, he said.

The Philippines has so far confirmed 49 cases of the disease, and Duterte has declared a state of public health emergency and suspended classes in Metro Manila this week.

The World Health Organization is characterizing the outbreak of the new coronavirus as pandemic due to "the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction." -with a report from Reuters